Munford girls' soccer team will be young

Munford's Matti Ping maneuvers the ball up field against Brighton. Photo by Jeff Ireland

Youth will be served when the Munford Lady Cougar soccer team takes the pitch for the 2014 season.

Sixth-year head coach Kyle Selby has only four seniors on his roster, and just two of them - center back Michaela Friesth and defender/striker Megan Benoit - started a season ago.

"We are working to develop the younger players," Selby said, "and build depth in all positions."

Munford played a brutal schedule last year, but still finished with a 7-7-3 record. They finished second in District 13-AAA and advanced to the region semifinals for the third straight season.

If the Lady Cougars are going to make it four years in a row, several younger players will have to play major roles this season.

Junior Erin Detter, an attacking midfielder, and junior striker Erika Lambert will be needed to generate some offense that graduated seniors Amie Beaman and Christin Smith provided last season.

The same could be said of Matti Ping, a sophomore striker who started last season as a freshman.

Sophomore Taylor Savage, who started at midfielder last season, moves to goalkeeper this season. Emily Montgomery, a junior, returns as well after starting in 2013.

Munford's youth will be tested early with a trip to Brighton, the defending district champs, on Aug. 26.

"They are working very hard on possession and overall soccer knowledge," Selby said of his young team. "Their development to become more of a passing and possession team is key to our improvements on last year."